Outdoor day trips and activities are the way to go this summer as we all continue to maintain safe social distancing. With a day trip, you can avoid staying in a hotel and minimize your exposure to those outside of who you interact with on a daily basis. Thankfully, the State of Florida has many great outdoor activities and places for you and your family to enjoy, including some of the best natural springs in the nation.

Here are a few of the state’s best natural springs.

The Floridan Aquifer

The technical name for this porous limestone that underlines the Florida peninsula – in some spots thousands of feet thick – is the Floridan aquifer. Tens of thousands of years ago, when the Florida land mass emerged from the sea, the lime rock "trapped" the seawater.

The exposed limestone collects freshwater, and below this freshwater lens, the rock holds saltwater. Over the years, the rains and freshwater began to form tunnels and cavities, collecting in what would become a giant reservoir. In some areas, where the crust is thin, the water bubbles to the surface.

The result is more than 600 freshwater springs. Some are small – barely noticeable, really – while others are large enough to pump out millions of gallons of water a day, enough to feed a major river. Early humans gathered by the springs where they fed on mastodon, mammoth, ground sloth, giant armadillo and beaver. Today, divers sometimes find bones and teeth, as well as stone-age tools, from this forgotten age.

Silver Springs

In 1860, the first steamboats chugged up the Ocklawaha River and then Silver Run, which was fed by one of Florida’s fabled natural wonders. The tourists loved to watch the fish, turtles and otters swim through the cool, clear water. Almost two decades later, a forward-thinker named Hullman Jones got the visitors one step closer by installing a glass viewing box on the flat bottom of a dugout canoe. Now, thanks to this “glass-bottom boat,” guests felt that they could practically swim with the creatures that frolicked in waters of the river and spring. Silver Springs soon became one of the most popular tourist attractions in the United States.

 Fanning Springs

The next three stops happen right along scenic U.S. 19 along Florida's Nature Coast. Make a stop at Fanning Springs State Park for a relaxing afternoon of swimming and picnicking.

If you have a kayak, make sure to bring it along – Fanning Springs feeds the legendary Suwannee River, so you'll definitely want to spend some time paddling while you’re there. Alternatively, Manatee Springs State Park is located just a few miles north of Fanning Springs in Chiefland, so you have a couple of great options in this area. 

Three Sisters Springs

You have another option for adventure just seven miles away – Crystal River's Three Sisters Springs, one of the most magnificent jewels in the state. In the winter, expect to see more manatees than you've most likely ever seen in once place. Most visitors access the spring by tour boat, kayak or paddleboard, but the new Three Sisters Springs boardwalk is open on a limited basis. 

Homosassa Springs

On Florida's Gulf Coast, near the southern end of what we call the Big Bend, Homosassa serves as home to several state parks including Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, where you can view manatees from an underwater observatory. At the Yulee Sugar Mill State Park in Homosassa, you can visit a sugar mill used to supply troops during the Civil War.